In true Kentucky fashion, the Republican supermajorities in the Kentucky House and Senate passed a cruel anti-trans youth bill just before time ran out to pass legislation subject to the Governor’s veto. The bill was modeled on the South Dakota bill, so it’s everything you would expect. It includes banning treatment for gender transition before age 18 even with parental permission, bathroom and locker room bans, and forbidding students to ask their teachers to use preferred pronouns. Doctors risk losing their licenses if they provide care, even puberty blockers. Oh, and the students themselves can sue their doctors for providing such care until the student is 30 years old, because these fine folks are positive the misguided trans kids will “change their minds” and want revenge in the future.
The “hearing” was announced mere minutes before it began and included the performative cruelty of calling two pro-trans advocates to literally beg the House not to pass the bill, before they voted to do just that. Senate approval was easily obtained and the bill went to the Governor’s desk. Andy Beshear has 10 days or so to veto the bill but can be overridden by the same supermajorities by March 30.
Here is a link to Louisville Public Media’s typically excellent local reporting on this issue. It looks like it is now up to the ACLU and Kentucky judges to stop this needless assault on trans youth.